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My “trip ‘up’ the river.”
Iowa, Minnesota, June 1862. 12mo (5.75” x 3.75”), flexible calf covers. 39 pp. of manuscript. A charming travel journal kept by a young woman during a tour via steamboat on the Mississippi River from the vicinity of Dubuque, Iowa to St. Paul, Minnesota. Miss Hackett, aged fifteen and born in 1847 (as she states), was one of a party of four young women who undertook an excursion between 9 June and 17 June 1862, as documented in sixteen pages of this journal. Her companions were Alice Stahl, Kittie Felt, and Fanny Hamilton. The women travel aboard the steamboat Itasca up the Mississippi River (a vessel that ferried Minnesota soldiers during the Civil War), under the command of captain Arthur Hurd. Hackett describes the hurricane deck, the pilot house, and various towns they pass, including Cassville, Guttenburg, Clayton, Prairie du Chien, Winona, Red Wing, St. Paul, along with such sites as Lake Pepin and the “sparkling” Minnehaha Falls (“[we] declared they were magnificent”). The women become acquainted with one Mr. Jackson, the vessel’s pilot (“in whom I took a lively interest”), and they spend evenings on the deck and dine on the steamboat. While in St. Paul, the girls buy candy; visit a hot-house where they purchase flowers; and tour flour and saw mills, each bringing home “a good handkerchief full of saw dust.” They also visit the home of one Mrs. Fletcher multiple times, where on one occasion they meet a friend. On the return trip, the Itasca races the steamboat Keokuk. Upon leaving the vessel, Hurd tells the women that next time they will travel for free on his boat. On their way home, the women have a very hot ride in a carriage which is the occasion of much humor. She writes of the excursion: “The remembrance still lives in my heart, and will always be one of the greenest spots of my life.” A year following the trip, the writer notes that since her trip she has changed her opinion of Arthur Hurd—now seeing him in his “true light.” The rest of the journal is composed mainly of religious musings. SOME REPRESENTATIVE PASSAGES “On Monday the 9th day of June A.D. 1862 about 5 o’clock in the morn Miss Sullivan, Ms Kittie Felt, Gus and I left the “city of bells” in a buggy (there being no cars on that morning), bound for Dubuque, [Iowa] and from there for a trip ‘up the river.’” “In a few minutes the boat started and we were soon gliding rapidly along in the handsome steamer Itasca, commanded by Capt. [Arthur] Hurd. We first went into the cabin, saw where our state room was, and there we sallied up to the Pilot House.… We next went down on the Hurricane Deck…our favorite resort.” “Our next stopping place was Guttenburg [Iowa], then, Clayton, neither of which towns are very remarkable looking. On one afternoon we thought we would have some lemonade and accordingly sent one of the waiter boys after some. He brought us up four glasses and then we asked for cake, he started off; was gone a good while, and then came back with four glasses of ale. After a hearty laugh at this mistake, we concluded not to send for any thing more.” “Arrived at Winona [Minnesota], at eight and we pronounced it the prettiest town on the river. About eleven, we landed to ‘wood-up,’ and we all went off into the woods. Every person made whistles, and we each received one from Arthur.” CONDITION: Light scuffing to covers; contents good, no losses to the text.
Item #6288
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